The federal government has agreed to return $1.1 million a doctor paid in restitution money after an appeals court overturned his conviction on health care fraud charges.

The Daily Independent cited court records in reporting that U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning signed the order last week to return the money to former Ashland cardiologist Richard Paulus.

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned his conviction on March 5 and Paulus was released from a federal penitentiary.

Federal prosecutors charged Paulus with performing unnecessary heart procedures while he was a cardiologist at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Ashland.